The Architect
by TheAnonymousDeviant
Summary: Dick Roman didn't need her on board, she was one of a thousand architects he could get for this job. Yet no matter the amount of defiance this human showed him he still continued to keep her. Rating and genre may change.
1. Chapter 1

**Introduction Chapter:**

The sun glared through the window; somehow she was always positioned in the right place, at the right time for the sun to be an annoyance. It was a contrast to the dimly lit room, the beige walls appearing darker with the lighting turned down. Thick curtains blocked out the sun from shining fully into the room, it only lit up the area around the coffee table that was separating the doctor and her.

"How are you feeling today?" The soothing voice asked. She glanced up at woman, taking in her attire for the day. A modest and knee length skirt with a tucked in blouse, her blonde hair was tied up neatly and the glasses fit snug to her face. Boring and ordinary, it wasn't anything new since we began these sessions. The amount of creativity she seemed to possess was in her glasses and their "cute and quirky" design. The patient wanted to scoff but refrained. The doctor wasn't a bad person, so far she was the only psychiatrist the young woman managed to stick with. Her brother who is not really her brother suggested these sessions for a period of time due to concerns. She was just about ready to quit, contrary to popular belief talking doesn't help everyone.

"I'm fine."

_Scribble, scribble, scribble. _Dull, uninteresting colored eyes rose from the clipboard. "We both know that's not going to suffice, Mary. I overheard your brother talking about a job you recently got?" She frowned deeply, distracting herself momentarily by leaning over and fixing the curtain. Now she could see the doctor in full without her eyes stinging by the brightness of the setting sun. Darker the room became and she was slightly more relaxed. Her brother always did joke about her being a creature of the night. "Tell me about it. Who is it for?"

"Richard Roman Enterprises." The name tasted something awful as she said it.

"Go on, we still have forty-five minutes left." The doctor encouraged. She breathed calmly, reminding herself she was only there for Alex.

"I'm designing an unsavory building."

"What kind?"

"A slaughterhouse."

A smile formed on the woman's lips, her legs crossing as she leaned back in the chair comfortably. "Horror is your specialty, Mary. I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something." She said, half jokingly.

Her lips twisted into a small and humorless smile, "That's not the issue."

"What's the issue then?"

She sat in silence for a moment, staring at the doctor as her mind presented to her all the possibilities of the woman's future. She cursed her imagination for once. The smile fell and she found herself examining the pattern of the carpet. Why would they ever put in something that could be so easily distracting?

"Mary... You're a creative young woman with a great and architectural talent. What's concerning you about this job?"

"Let's just say I don't have a taste for it."


	2. Chapter 2

_Let's go back to the beginning._

Mary was always an imagination junky. She read, she wrote, she drew and painted; stared for hours at artwork in books and online. A creator of fiction, the only thing she's ever brought into reality was through architecture. She couldn't tell you when she first decided that was what she would pursue; she could, however, tell you just when it was she realized it was too much spotlight. Going under a fake name young Mary began doing smaller projects, less likely to be noticed. Halloween was her specialty, she designed and set up haunted houses that competed with professionals.

Her brother, who is not really her brother, always encouraged her into becoming something bigger but she was quite content with being small. She enjoyed not being noticed and he accepted that despite his excitement when he caught wind of a possible project. Alex was practically her secretary of a company that didn't even exist. They made a good team, though, that was easy enough to admit. Him a computer technician, always on the hunt online for possible things of interest. What she enjoys most about him was the fact he doesn't want anything from her. Nothing was expected -save for paying her half of the rent on time- and that was the greatest feeling in the world to her.

They currently sat on the couch, going through a pile of horror movies which always gave way to them debating on what made a monster. It was a repetitive conversation they had but it was nonetheless enjoyable. They'd mostly agree, save for the fact he couldn't shake his opinion that the appearance sometimes came into things to define a monster as one. She'd make her argument that appearance never played much of a role, it was more a bonus factor. Stating how characters like Michael Myers and Cletus Kasady were monsters by default. She'd say how superheroes aren't labeled based on whether or not they have superpowers, it's the actions they take and the choices they make no matter the type of person they are. The moment that comment flew out her mouth Alex would begin his Batman impressions.

He handed her the bowl of Doritos with a grin as she bit back a laugh. Mary wasn't the type of person who felt much, she figured she was a faulty piece of equipment or something. Sure she was passionate about her work and cared for her brother, everything else, however, was not really of interest. Her heart was closed off and whatever feelings that were left within her were crammed in a poorly made box. Alex brought out something and she knew if it wasn't for him she'd be long gone. Never would she take him for granted or risk his life, she was lucky as is to have this much.

"So lunch tomorrow? I get off around one." Alex asked.

Mary pretended to checked her schedule, "Well, I have to see if I have any clients... Nope, just have to mail a painting out. We're good, one tomorrow sounds great."

He stole back the bowl and grinned, "You're _hilarious._ Get a job already, you hobo." She kicked his leg which earned a laugh, "Kidding. When you have a job I barely see you for weeks at a time. It's so boring. Maybe you should become a housewife so we don't have to worry about that ever."

"Incest much?"

Alex's face contorted as he thought about what he said. "Ew, gross. No way."

"Insulting much?" Mary teased as she bit into a chip.

"I didn't mean you aren't- I'm just saying you're family. Adopted sister type of family. Literally!" He sighed, running a hand through his black locks. "We're almost twins."

"How about we talk about where we're going for lunch before this subject becomes awkward and you explode."

He laughed slightly sarcastically, "We can hit that cafe around the block." It earned him a thumbs up and they sat for a moment as the credits rolled on the television. "So. The Collector... Wow."

Her lips pulled into a grin, "Pretty freaking scary, right? Now that, that's a monster! He can't be contained in one category, that character breaches them all. He's every kind of serial killer all condensced into one."

"The people who made this movie didn't give a fuck about the rules. They did what they want!" Alex declared approvingly with a raised fist. "You're right, that's a new favorite now." He said, stifling a yawn. "Shit. I should get to bed, I have to head in early to finish a report."

Mary lifted the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre followed by its sequels.

"Oh fuck me. Who needs sleep when there's a marathon?"

_Live it up, you two. The best is yet to come._

* * *

**I do not own anything aside from what's obviously original. Aka the characters: Alex and Mary and their own personal little stories. I don't make any profit from writing this fanfiction, unless you count meeting cool folks in doing so. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

_All around the world  
We could make time  
Rompin' and a-stompin'  
'cause I'm in my prime_

The lyrics blasted through Mary's headphones as she kicked her car door shut. Spinning around she hummed, dancing across the parking lot to the front of the building. Her auburn hair bounced, its wavy and loose curls having a life of their own. Mary barely noticed the stares she was getting from employees heading into work, they didn't hold a place in her heart to care. Others thoughts and opinions about the young woman fell silent to her ears, she was who she was.

Her finger turned down the music as she entered the skyscraper and approached the front desk. A glance around the grey and white building told her she was in a corporation building, the large RRE on the sign in the middle of the floor reminded her just where her brother works. Giving a lazy stretch she waited as the woman in front of her finished speaking to the guard behind the desk.

_Boring._

"Next." Her ears perked up as she stepped forward, "Hey Mary, how are you doing today?"

"Hungry, waiting on Alex. How's the day going, Andy?"

He motioned to the people moving around the room, "Same old, same old. You can take a seat anywhere you like."

"Thanks, I'll talk to you later." She waved moving towards a chair in the waiting area. Her fingers danced across her cellphone as she shot her brother a text.

The clock hit one and she groaned quietly, feeling hunger clawing at her insides. Immediately regretting skipping breakfast now as she sat, impatiently waiting. The music grew a bit louder in her ears but not by much, a means to distract as she watched the people around her. The suits laughed and talked business, or so she imagined. All she could see from their lips was blah, blah, blah. It was entertaining for a split second. A few shot her a glance and she figured she knew why, jeans and a t-shirt isn't all that welcoming to business folks. Biting her tongue she ignored the possible harshness that could seep from her lips, instead she took to curling a lock of hair around her finger and lightly pulling.

Her eyes scanned the room before something caught her eye, coming down the clear glass elevator was him. Her brother. The moment she spotted him a smile broke out. He was against the glass, pawing at it with a cheeky grin, a woman in the elevator with him was against the opposite wall and eyed him warily. The moment the box reached the bottom and the doors opened he sped out, "You're late." She said with a huff, pretending to be annoyed.

"You're hungry, I know. Please forgive me, your highness. I fell asleep at my desk." She quirked a brow as he glowered, "It's your fault."

"I didn't make you stay up."

He clicked his tongue, "No, but you knew I would if you baited me."

"It's not my fault you're so easy, you slut." Mary grinned which earned a light punch. "Got everything?"

"Yes." Alex said as they began walking, patting down his pockets before he stopped. "No. I forgot my keys, phone, and flash drive."

"So you left everything you need."

He rolled his eyes, "Yes. I'm going to go get them, you want to stay here or come?"

Mary already began walking towards the elevator, "If I have to wait any longer I'll explode. Let's grab your shit."

She offered him an ear bud as they leaned against the wall together, listening to the playlist until they reached his floor. He led her towards the cubicles and where he sat. To her this was a depressing place, everything looked the same. Granted, people personalized their stations but did it really make things any better? No.

"What are you doing back?" A voice asked.

Alex whipped his head around to the cubicle behind them, "Forgot my crap. Heading out for lunch, you want anything?"

"You're offering?" The ginger flashed a smile, "No, thanks." She said before looking towards Mary, "Hey there."

"How's it going, Charlie?" She asked, having a very vague acquaintanceship with the woman.

A lazy one shoulder shrug was given as a reply, "I got a weird job given to me by Mr. Roman himself." She held up a hard drive, giving it a small wave. It immediately interested Alex as he snatched his belongings and entered her cubicle. "Apparently it has some compromising information about the company that he doesn't want leaked."

"Should you really be telling me that?" Alex laughed.

Again she shrugged, "I have to do it in three days or I'm fired."

"I guess whatever is on that is pretty damn important." Mary commented as she placed a hand on her stomach and looked at Alex. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure. Good luck, Charlie."

* * *

They sat at the cafe table, he was looking at the menu as she sat doodling in a sketchbook. Her neck cracked as she tilted her head, giving a soft sigh of relief as she focused on the face she was shading. Her brother glanced over the menu at her, quirking his brow at the drawing she was doing. It was a realistic portrait of him, except his face was anything but realistic. It was a silly expression, something you'd see in an anime. Mary looked up at him with a smirk which earned her a shake of his head, an exasperated sigh following.

"Hi, what can I get for you two?" The waitress appeared, a bubbly smile on her face that was full of fake cheer.

"Water and a burger; medium, American cheese, lettuce please." Mary ordered immediately.

Alex closed the menu and handed it to their server, "Yeah, same here. Thanks."

"Aren't you on a diet?" She teased as the waitress walked away, "Tsk, tsk."

He shot her a glare, "I need some actual food. I'm a growing boy, you know."

"I know."

She held up the picture she finished and he groaned. A small laugh left her lips as she placed the sketchbook down and flipped the page to a blank one, once more her pencil hit the paper as she began sketching monster concepts. They sat in relative silence, he was skimming through his phone and checking updates. A quizzical expression took over his features as he focused on the email. "Sis'." Her eyes turned up, "I have to get back soon, my boss is saying I've got a meeting."

"But you never have meetings... _so_ this is strange."

"Very. Someone wants to meet me, another job offer from the looks of it. Boss sounds perplexed." He rolled his eyes. "Guess we'll see, huh?"

She nodded, having nothing to say on the matter. Instead she let him go silent as he responded back to the email, occasionally mentioning his thoughts on the matter. Their food came not too long afterwards, but it never changed the confusion and worry that clouded his eyes.

* * *

"Later, bro."

"See ya." Alex waved as he watched his sister reach her car before he entered the building, making his way to the elevator he flashed Andrew his pass. Looking in his reflection as he stepped into the elevator he quickly patted down his black hair, trying to look somewhat decent before he faced the boss. Now his boss wasn't anything remarkable by far, he was a pretty weak man with no amazing qualities. How he maintained such a position was beyond him.

_Ding._

The doors opened and he exited, walking straight towards the office. He knew despite his boss being less than qualified for his position that he still held power over him, and that ability to be possibly fired was there. It was enough for Alex to work his ass off, this job was his best bet at maintaining a future. He couldn't afford to lose it, especially when he spent part of his paycheck on sending his sister to a psychiatrist. She wasn't happy about it initially, still isn't no doubt because that's how she rolls. The only way he got her to go was by paying because she didn't want his money to go to waste, even if she felt like talking about her issues was a waste. She had to talk to someone. Alex knew you couldn't go through life with heavy losses and not at least have something to say about them.

Tightening his tie he rounded the corner of the office and knocked on the door, his boss waved him in and already Alex could make out the bead of sweat dripping from his brow. Turning his head to the left more he could see why, another man stood in the office. Not just any man, The Man. His boss, the owner of the company, the man most employees rarely got to see. As in, thirty-fifth richest man in the U.S.

Alex was thrown off, "Am I interrupting, sir?"

"No, I'd say you're right on time." Mr. Roman said as he flashed a smile full of teeth. "Take a seat."

With a nod he sat down in a chair, Charlie's earlier mentioning of an assignment coming to mind. "What can I do for you, Mr. Roman?" He asked, doing all he could to keep his job. The politeness oozed out of him and his worries were easy to read, no doubt.

"Please, Dick." His boss said casually, "I hear you're good with computers, specifically hacking and tracking."

"Yeah, sure, I'm good at what I do, sir. It's why I work at your company."

The smile grew, "You're confident, I like that. So do you think you're up for hunting down some people who are interested in taking down my company?"

"My job is apart of your corporation, Mr. Roman-uh, Dick. Of course I'm interested. I'd like to keep my position."

"Excellent!" He nodded, the smile turning into a grin as he reached back on the desk and pulled off some files. "This is all the information you need." Dick said in a voice that said, '_don't try digging further'._

But he had to ask. "If I may ask a question?"

"You may." His boss said, the casualness returning as he leaned against the desk.

"Does this have to do with Charlie's work?" The smile faltered on the other man. "Well, uh, you see... She just said she had an important assignment that you gave her, so I was wondering if this was related to it in any way? It's kind of coincidental that we're both tasked on the same day by The Man."

The smile perked back up on his lips, "Yes, it's related."

"Can we work together at all?"

"No." One word, the final word. Rubbing his hands together he gave a friendly smile, which didn't seem friendly at all, "I'll call you tomorrow to see your progress."

Dick shoved his hands into his pockets and left the room leaving a stunned Alex. His department boss handed him the files before sitting down, looking like he had been through hell Alex took his leave.

He sat down in his cubicle and slowly turned his chair around to face Charlie, who already was staring at him. "Assignment." Alex confirmed what she was thinking without hesitation.

"Hacking into a hard drive?"

"Tracking the owners of the hard drive, I think. Or people related to it." He replied, turning to the desk and opening the first folder. "He doesn't want us working together."

"We're not exactly known for following the rules." She replied with a cheeky smile.

He tried to suppress his own, "No, we're not. Keep me posted."

"Ditto."


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy end of the world day! I figured I'd post a little something so that anyone who is bored and waiting for the mouth of hell to open can read something. :P**

* * *

His hands frantically flew across the keyboard, a bead of sweat trailing down his pale face. Bright eyes scanned the computer screen, reading through the code and information that presented itself before him. Mary knew something was off by the lack of excitement in this project of his, it was work-oriented and it was taking up all of his focus. He hadn't left all night, she had worried and came around for lunch after getting a text message earlier that morning vaguely explaining his absence. There were assignments like these that existed, ones that kept him away from their apartment for a night or two. He was usually bubbly with anticipation to finish, Alex always took some pleasure in whatever work he did unless it was repetitively dull.

Mary noticed Charlie was very much in the same state, she barely noticed the hello sent her way before and delayed giving her response. Curiosity and suspicion flooded her veins as she stood behind Alex's chair, trying to pull his attention away from the computer.

"You need food." She insisted, "Then you can work some more."

He grunted, "This is important, Mr. Roman himself is calling me today for an update and right now I don't have much for him."

"Don't have much-really? You have found a trail, even if it is a bit iffy. I don't think he'll mind you getting lunch, he can't expect you to devote your entire time to this. You need to take care of yourself."

"I-"

"You last ate lunch with me." Her foot kicked the trash can full of candy wrappers. "This isn't food. Get up, get your jacket, we're going."

Alex sighed and released the keyboard, a hand rubbing his tired eyes as he got up. "Alright, sis'."

* * *

The duo reached the first floor, Mary laughed quietly as her brother stumbled weakly at the elevator halting. He steadied himself and straightened, patting down his hair that was still rather wild from a night of ruffling. He relaxed, pulling on his jacket as the elevator doors opened. Immediately what color had begun to return to his face faded, standing on the other side was The Boss.

A look of minor surprise took over Dick Roman's face as he looked over his employee, "Alex, hello. Going somewhere?"

"Uh, yeah, lunch. My sister," He motioned to Mary next to him. "reminded me I haven't eaten since lunchtime yesterday."

Dick studied the young woman a moment, "You were here all night?"

"Yes, sir." He replied, uneasy by the look he was giving Mary. It reminded him of a predator despite the friendliness he tried to display. It just reminded him that this was a businessman who wouldn't hesitate to get rid of him. Dick Roman was a shark. His sister narrowed her eyes a fraction, looking unimpressed at his boss as she remained silent during their exchange.

A smile found its way onto his lips, "Quite the dedication." He looked back at Alex, "I could use that in more employees, you know. Some are just so replaceable."

"Thank you, sir."

"Did you find anything?"

Alex shoved his hands into his jacket pockets to hide the slight shaking, "A few things, unfortunately nothing really remarkable."

"Any bit of information can help me. Hey, I have an idea, how about for your hard work I take you both to lunch and we can discuss what you found."

It made Alex hesitate to reply, he glanced at Mary who lifted her brow slightly. It was his choice, he knew, she wasn't bothered by the change unless it bothered him. Despite wanting to say no he knew that wouldn't earn him any favor with his boss, begrudgingly he nodded, "Sounds good to me, sir. Let me go get that file I put together so far. I'll be right back, sis'."

Mary stepped out of the elevator and watched her brother until the doors closed. Her gaze shifted to her left and up as green eyes met brown, standing beside her brother's boss a moment before she moved to the side of the elevator and out of peoples ways. The man didn't miss a beat following her to the side, giving a few smiles to employees that greeted him. Her brows furrowed slightly at the exchange, like her brother she couldn't place her finger on it but something was out of place with the man. The siblings grew up in the company of pretenders, it was easy to see a facade for them even if they didn't know the details on it. Whatever Dick Roman was about she knew it wasn't as grand as he flared it up to be, this fake behavior of pleasantries was a mask covering something else. If anyone knew about masks it was her.

His attention returned to her as he relaxed, body language becoming slack and casual once his hands slid into the pockets of his pants. "I didn't know Alex had a sister."

"We look nothing alike." She joked dryly, earning her a slight tilt of his head. "We're not blood relatives. His parents adopted me once upon a time."

He made a slight _'ah'_ acknowledgement before staring down at her, his gaze seeming intent on finding something. She glanced to the side a moment, despising how quickly this situation was becoming awkward. Inwardly she cursed her brother for leaving her to stay here with his boss. It was an abrupt motion that caught her attention, looking she noticed he extended his hand, "Dick Roman."

Mary looked at it a moment longer before glancing up at him where a smile of all teeth was plastered to his face, "Mary Reddenburg." She returned the introduction as her hand gripped his. She noted the way his fingers curled around her hand, it felt like a snake curling around a mouse as the life was squeezed out of it. Yet there was no pain in her hand, it was a firm shake and she watched as his eyes narrowed, the smile on his lips dulling a moment until their hands separated.

Whatever made him lessen his previous expression seemed to disappear, "Your brother is a fine employee of my company."

_Great, the buttering up part._

"He likes his position." Mary replied, keeping it short. His lips quirked up a bit as a lazy smirk fell over his face by her lack of ability to care for small talk. "He's also good at what he does, determined, especially when challenged." She elaborated a moment later.

"Your brother is lucky, he's not easy to replace. Very much like Charlie in that regard."

"You should be lucky to have such competence willingly working for you." Mary replied with a slight frown at the idea of him replacing her brother.

Dick's smirk never faltered but his eyes seemed to harden as he stared down at her, this time Mary didn't break eye contact as she stared up at him. They didn't noticed the elevator doors open until Alex caught their attention.

"All set."

Dick narrowed his eyes at her for a split second before looking at her brother with a pleasant expression, "Excellent."

* * *

Mary sat at the table with her sketchbook open as her brother talked business. She bit her lip a moment as her pencil sketched across the paper, designing smoke coming from the furnace of the room she was drawing. From the furnace she added a stone path leading up to it, followed by large metal carts that lined the path. There was a table beside the furnace that she added details to, designed it to be of wood and metal. A combination she quite enjoyed putting into her artwork. Lightly erasing some lines she then added some random tools before moving on to sketching some bodies in the carts.

"You're really drawing that during lunch?" Alex piped up.

It caught her off guard. She glanced up at him and bit into her sandwich before looking back down and returned to sketching, "People die. Hell, they're dying while we're sitting here eating. Does it matter what time I illustrate a massacre?" Mary asked, slightly annoyed as she erased the line when he initially startled her.

"You're such a downer sometimes." He threw back in a lower tone, as if his boss wouldn't hear it. "I'm sorry, sir. My sister has a taste for the horrors of life."

Dick leaned on the table and looked at her drawing, his brows creasing as he still managed to smile, the expression contradicting itself. "Don't apologize, she has talent." At that Mary looked up, masking her suspicion. "You're one of those horror junkies, huh? Enjoy the slashers, Michael Myers and his hockey mask."

"It's Jason Vorhees that wears the hockey mask." She corrected, his smile faltered a moment. "Michael Myers is the psychopath child that snapped and was incarcerated for an extended period of time until he broke out to find his sister, and/or murder her." He made another _'ah'_ acknowledgement, "And yes, I do enjoy them."

Roman tilted his head at her, ignoring Alex as he leaned back in the chair with a heavy sigh. "You like watching people die?"

"No. I just find it fascinating what people are capable of doing, and what monstrosities they are willing to become." Mary replied evenly, "I accept that there's bad shit out there and worse shit to come, I don't throw myself through the loops of denial. The world will always be a chaotic place, the weak races die out and the strong thrive. No matter how intelligent the killer could be it's still a natural order by the end of it."

He rested his chin in his palm, the dark brown eyes seeming to blacken as they watched her a moment before looking back to her artwork. "Do you do a lot of architectural work?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Why?"

Dick grinned at her reaction, "You're very precise in designing the room even if it is a simple sketch and shade drawing."

"She actually studied to become an architect, knows all she needs to when it comes to designing a building. She's done a lot of work in that department."

"Really?" Dick inquired when Mary shot her brother a glare, the grin never lessening. "What kind of work?"

Once more her brother answered, "Small projects, mostly around the state or in the neighboring ones. She doesn't really like the spotlight."

"That's a shame."

"Not really, I just like creating things." Mary retorted with a scowl.

Dick lifted a finger and pointed it at her sketchbook, "Have you ever designed a slaughterhouse?" That question made her pause, not because of their previous conversation but because it sounded absurd coming from his mouth. "You see, I'm getting more into the food industry and am going to be needing some slaughterhouses built."

She nearly snorted, "I've designed a few."

"Realistically, of course." He countered, she glared at him and he flashed her a challenging grin.

"Plenty. Everything I design is made to function." She flipped to a blank page and began sketching blueprints. "Slaughterhouses are fun, they need to be simple to keep things flowing since they deal with live stock but also presentable when inspections come around. I prefer the warehouse layout, wide open floor plan for this type of structure. Keeping things organized is a priority." She murmured, more to herself as she went on as she drew out the first floor plan, designing the outdoors as well in a few strokes of her pencil. "Can't have blades around the corner, it would spook the critters." Moving down she began the lower level design, "But a man like you, you're bound to want to do some testing on your production." She sketched down another level and began designing more, adding an area for immediate testing. Mary began labeling the sections, "Slaughter, testing, growing, waiting, presentation..."

"No, I think we're fine. The check will be fine, thank you." Alex said to the waitress, a sigh leaving his lips as he watched his boss sitting on the opposite side of his sister, yet he watched her work intently. Almost quietly admiring the way details began to fill the blank page, bringing it to life.

"You're a man of show but not tell, at least not until you need to tell." Mary went on, glancing up at Dick who gave her another all teeth smile. Trying to appear friendly once more yet only succeeded in looking predatory. "That's why presentation for you would be important, especially because food isn't your original path. You'll need to earn the confidence of any inspections you get. That is, if you don't bribe them with your fortune."

He chuckled, "Already assuming the worse of me and we've already just met."

"We've already just met and I'm shittily designing you a slaughterhouse -for fun- Mr. Roman." She bit back.

"Please, Dick."

"Roman, much more fitting."

"I insist, Dick." She looked up and noticed the familiar hardened gaze. Mary didn't follow much on the news, but she knew enough through her brother and what she saw that this new title obsession came about only a short time ago. Why someone needed to reinvent themselves with the name Dick was beyond her.

"No promises." Mary replied as politely as possible which barely lessened the look on his face. She finished sketching a few details before spinning around the book and giving it to him to have a look.

Dick examined the blueprints with an unreadable expression, the businessman coming forth (though she doubt he even left) as he thoroughly read over her design. When he was done he looked briefly at her before to the side at Alex, her brother looked nervous though that wasn't out of the ordinary. Dick looked back at her and she leaned back in her chair, fingers quietly drumming on the table. A grin found its way onto his lips as he slid the sketchbook across the table to her, "Excellent! How about this, you get those onto graph paper and all legit looking and I'll swing by tonight for a looksie."It wasn't a question, she noted as he paid and got up from the table. "I'll bring you both back, lots of work to be done."

"I never accepted." Mary bluntly said.

He paused. Alex stood, mid-zip of his jacket. Dick looked at her expectantly, "What?"

"I never accepted whatever job you're trying to get out of me."

Roman looked her over once before placing his hands on the table, leaning over he said, "Consider it an interview, then."

"Maybe I don't want it." Mary replied, disliking the fact he was trying to control her and give her no option in the matter.

The smile he wore never faltered but his eyelids fell, seeming to become bored by her objections. "Maybe you do and you don't know it yet." He replied with a rasp, staring at her a moment before straightening up and fixing his tie. Life sparked back into his face, "Great talk. Let's get going, shall we?"

So they left in what would be a promising awkward car ride back just as it was when they drove there.


	5. Chapter 5

It was around 4:00 P.M. when Alex's pacing began and around 5:30 P.M. when a knock came on the door. His sister, of course, was hiding away in her room for as long as possible. Having to face The Boss on his own wasn't appealing in the slightest. He approached the door, rolling his sleeves up as he unlocked and opened it. There was almost an immediate change after Dick Roman glanced him up and down once before pulling on a friendly smile.

"Alex."

"Sir." He tried not to stutter.

Roman creased his brows, half of his face looking confused despite the smile plastered to it. "How many times do I have to tell you. Please, Dick."

"Right, sorry." He opened the door stiffly, inviting his guests inside. Plural, he noted as a man stood behind him.

"I hope you don't mind, I brought a colleague of mine. Edgar, this is Alex, he's really something." Dick said, talking about Alex as if he was some pet on display. Taking up the invitation they both entered the apartment, the stony face Dick's partner never changing. Roman walked into the living area, pausing to skim his eyes over the artwork scattered across the walls and sketches that littered the coffee table. Alex motioned him to the table and they followed. Dick once more ran his eyes across the surface that was also covered, much like the other room. Flustered Alex began tidying up, muttering a small apology. "So where is our talented artist?"

"Finishing a commission. She'll stop soon now that you're here."

"Will she?" Dick quirked a brow.

Alex swallowed his spit, "Well, to be honest, she is more than happy to delay." He walked over and placed the drawings on the coffee table, "She's not a people person."

"I guess that's good news for me." The man grinned, brown eyes shining with amusement at his own joke. His partner looked at him with the faint traces of a smirk, that kind of reaction was the deciding factor on why Alex decided not to ask about.

Nervously Alex stood beside the table, opposite of them. "I'll go get-"

"Does she normally do morbid artwork?" Dick interrupted as he motioned to the wall art with one hand, the other unbuttoning his suit jacket before he took a seat. Even that was business-like. Alex glanced around at the artwork that filled the apartment, a Gallows Tree to eldritch abominations, battle ready knights and internet memes in darker versions. He spotted the few she did for him for his birthday and Christmas, or ones just on request.

"It's kind of her thing. She enjoys skeletons a lot for all kinds of reasons. Hellish nightmare fuel monsters are something she makes for fun, disturbing characters and realistic psychological issues she likes to blend together. And her hopeful pieces are subtle but powerful. That's just my opinion, though." Alex shoved his hands in his pockets, giving a light shrug. "She just likes to remind people we don't own the world and that nothing is what it seems, be it good or bad or anything in between. Least that's what I've interpreted."

"But architecture is what you're here for, Roman, not to chit chat on my artwork." Mary said with a scowl to her voice as she came around the frame of the door. Paint was splattered across her cargo pants, a few specks on her navy blue shirt.

"Mary, hey. Good timing."

"I heard when he arrived, my music wasn't that loud, and when you didn't come and get me immediately I figured there was something going on. So rather than deal with a nosy businessman digging up info behind my back, I came out of my hole." If there was one thing obvious about Mary she was paranoid, and it wasn't the kind teenagers diagnosed themselves with. She placed on the table a roll of paper and rolled it over to Dick. "There's your slaughterhouse, if it's to your liking pay my brother and we can be done with it."

Dick's smile slimmed to a thin line as he gingerly spread out the blueprints. Edgar was at his side, holding down one of the ends. Their eyes examined the design, quietly discussing it as they pointed out to a few places. Mary wasn't sure just what they were talking about but she had a feeling she wouldn't want to know. The black haired man beside Roman looked at her, it was a slow and deliberate stare that lasted only a few seconds before returning to the prints. Dick turned his head to whisper quieter and once more the black haired man looked at her, his eyes narrowing with slight amusement. She guessed he wasn't the type to get emotional over anything and decided anything he showed was purposely done for a reason. And people say first impressions don't matter.

Alex's ass met the chair at an awkward speed, the anticipation was too much and he felt the need to sit down. Unfortunately it nearly caused him to fall backwards. "Sorry." Left his lips at the disturbance but no one seemed to pay him mind. Mary took a seat next to him, leaning on the table with little enthusiasm as she awaited a reply. Her brother could see the impatience on her face, she wasn't the type of person who reacted kindly to strangers. Her tolerance wasn't high with people she didn't know and it was rare that she would ever put in the effort. She knew what this meant to him and he was beyond grateful about it.

"We up for movie night when they are gone?" Mary asked quietly, her chin resting in her palm.

Alex sighed, "Can't, gotta go back to work."

"Sorry, bro."

"Don't worry, you'll be there." Dick looked up with a shine to his dark eyes, "These plans are just what I'm looking for, I want you to get started immediately." Mary opened her mouth to protest, "Ah, ah, ah." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope and slid it across the table with a wink.

Mary immediately handed it to Alex, hesitantly he opened it and read the contents. She gave him a sidelong glance and watched the change in his features, the first thing he did was look to his boss. The smile on Dick's face grew as he leaned back further in the chair and adjusted his cuffs. Alex leaned over to her, she could see the hesitance in his gaze.

"I don't think we have a choice." Was the first thing that left his mouth, she shot him a questionable look. "We keep coming up shorter and shorter when the bills come in, it's only a matter of time before we aren't able to pay. Which I suspect is NEXT month... We could use this, commission his project and then you're done."

"I don't want to be known. The other details can be worked out during the contract meeting."

Alex placed his hand over hers, "We'll discuss that, okay?" Mary nodded in acceptance, she believed her brother and would do what was necessary to help support them. Even if it meant working for a condescending politician. "She has agreed to your project but the only thing is she doesn't want her name to be known. Everything else is negotiable it would seem."

Dick looked to Mary and glanced her up and down, "That can be arranged." He said as a smile of all teeth spread. "Come with your brother tonight and we'll put together a contract. I'll be in around, say, 9:00."

She looked up at him as he stood and watched the dark eyes stare back, awaiting a response. "Okay, we'll be there." Was all she could muster, complying for the moment. Mary watched as Alex got up to see them out, her eyes following her temporary employer as he left their apartment.

The look on her brother's face when he came walking back was priceless, it quirked a smile onto her lips. "So... This is crazy."

"That's an understatement."

"We're working together, at least!"

"Not really."

Alex bit the inside of his cheek, "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Your boss is a dick."

* * *

"Hey Andy!" Mary called as she entered Richard Roman Enterprises alongside her brother. The man looked up with a straight face, his hand lifting. There wasn't an ounce of his usual chipper personality. His eyes bore into them as they walked together to the elevator, following them as they rode up and exited onto Alex's floor. Calling it strange was putting it lightly, Andy was someone she enjoyed exchanging words with when she came to visit Andy at work. Bad night, she guessed.

The doors opened and they were greeted by a tall man, "Miss Reddenburg?"

"Yes?"

"I'm here to escort you to Mr. Roman's office." He answered flatly.

Alex patted her on the shoulder, "Come back down when you're done, you'll be fine."

She nearly snorted at the confidence he had in her. "Right, good luck on your work." Mary replied with as the security officer got into the elevator and swiped his card through the slot. They began heading up, her hands gripped the straps of her small backpack anxiously. This was just another contract, she tried to keep telling herself. She has done these before, plenty of times before. There was no reason why any uneasiness should be felt, this was a job and that was all.

That didn't explain why her subconscious was feeding her paranoia worse than ever, or why her instincts demanded they leave. There was no reason, not a single ounce of proof that told Mary she should reject this job offer. Aside from clashing personalities, that is, but that was something every work place encountered and therefore was not an issue.

Yet when the elevator doors opened for a second time and she was walked down the hallway it felt far more overwhelming than just any other job. The tall man knocked on the office door where a faint invitation could heard coming from the inside. The door opened wide and she glanced at the guard before entering, listening to the click of the door shutting behind. She glanced over what was mostly a black and white office, save for the dark wood that decorated the place as well. Even Dick lost color as he was seated behind the desk with a black and white tuxedo. It was different than the suit he arrived in at her apartment before, she guessed he really was a busy man to attend something tux worthy in that time frame.

Eyes were suddenly on her and a friendly smile took over his lips, he motioned to one of the chairs at the front of the desk. "Please, sit."

Mary cleared her throat quietly and approached the seat, slipping the backpack off and resting it alongside the chair. "You look fancy." She commented, trying to appear relaxed.

The smile grew a bit wider as he straightened the bow tie, "Shame the same can't be said about you. Do you often come to work so casually?"

"I don't often have a work to go to. Mine is done at home, this is very different to what I'm used to. Pardon me if I don't care enough to dress the part." She bit back evenly. One jean covered leg crossing over the other as she watched his stare harden.

His upper lip curled, baring his teeth in a snarky smile. Dick turned his attention to his desk and picked up a file, handing it over to her. "Give it a little looksie, would you?"

She flipped open the cover and found the contract written up already. Leaning back in the chair she glanced up at him over the file, impressed it was done this quickly; the politician smugly smirked in return. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes she focused on the papers before her, carefully reading through them.

* * *

"Hey Charlie." Alex called as he weaved through the cubicles and came to his own. Setting down his bag he pulled off his headphones, setting the player down on the desk.

"A-Alex, what are you doing here?"

He stopped as he was preparing to take a seat, "Surprised to see me?"

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd be back tonight."

Alex furrowed his brows, "You and I are working on the same thing pretty much. Course I was coming back. Is there something wrong?"

The redhead looked to be at war with herself, her expressions changing few times before she leaned towards him and spoke in a hushed voice, "You need to see what's on my computer. Now." When he lifted a confused brow she added, "You can't tell anyone!"

* * *

"Roman-"

"Dick."

Her eyes bore into his, "It looks fine to me. I signed." Mary leaned forward and handed back the contract. She glanced to the clock, surprised it took such a short time to complete this phase.

"Excellent." He commented, briefly flipping through the papers and making sure all was signed off on. Dick's phone went off and he glanced briefly at whatever the message contained. It must have been good news by the gleam that filled his gaze, the same one that fell back onto her. "Now, let's talk about when you'll start."

* * *

Alex stood up straight, shaking slightly as he did so. "You're... Not shitting me, are you?" He asked her, Charlie stared up at him and shook her head. She has pranked him before and he was hesitant to believe her even now. But there was something about the way her lips trembled, the terror in her eyes that so desperately wanted to scream and tell the world. There was no denying Charlie and only one thing came to mind. "My sister is in his office right now!"

"The package should be here within minutes, Alex. Go get her, we have to leave."

He nodded, "You get a head start." She looked back at him to object, "Just go, you're linked back to all of this. Get out now, we'll be right behind you." There was no waiting for an answer as he ran to the elevator and swiped his card.

* * *

Mary tapped her finger on the arm of the chair, "Okay, so we'll begin-" She stopped at the sudden knock on the door. It opened and she saw the familiar face, "Alex? What are you-"

"Sir, I need to borrow my sister really quick. I'm sorry but it's urgent." Her brother took her by the arm while his free one grabbed her bag. He glanced back only to find his boss staring at him with a scowl. It was the first time he had seen true displeasure engraved upon his face.

Alex pulled her from the room and down the hall, but he didn't stop. He reached the stairs and continued going, "Where are we going? I was in the middle of-"

"Dick Roman isn't human. Charlie is escaping from here. She cracked the hard drive but the information is just crazy but it's true, we have to go." Alex spoke quickly, trying to summarize what he just found out. "We have to get out of here."

"Al-" She watched him shake his head. Grabbing hold of his arm she forced them both to a halt, not budging her body. "Okay, we'll go. But you have to tell me what's up."

Alex stopped and pulled her into a hug, "I have to get something from my desk, you start running. I'll meet you on the first floor in a few minutes, if you see Charlie you leave with her."

Mary clenched her jaw, teeth grinding together before she threw on her backpack with a nod. She continued down the stairs, him following until he reached the door to his floor. She hesitated, looking back up at him. Alex flashed her a smile before disappearing around the metal door. Without waiting any longer she continued down the stairs.

_**BOOM**_

She clung to the railing and looked up, panic filling her. No, the explosion sounded far higher than where he is. She waited a moment, it didn't seem like the building was coming down. There was a war inside of her but she took another step forward, reminding herself that this was her brother. He must have known this was up, he was no doubt okay and she'd see him at the bottom. She would keep telling herself that until it was true, until he kept his word.

However, that wasn't what she found when she reached the first floor minutes later. A pained cry followed by glass shattering. Mary walked further from the stairs and glanced over the scene; Dick Roman stood looking at a fallen Charlie along with one of the employees. Two strange men stood in front of the shattered front doors, they looked panicked. Footsteps caught her attention and she saw one of the security guards, Andy, approaching, oblivious to where she was and solely focused on getting to the others. It didn't take a genius to guess Charlie was in danger, so without thinking Mary did what came natural to her. Protect people she gives a shit about, and to be honest, Charlie had become family in a strange way.

Mary watched quietly as the guard passed right by her. She followed after Andy and jumped onto his back, wrapping her legs around his waist the best she could. Her arms encircled around his neck and she pulled back, choking him. He began trying to reach back and get her off, fingers gripping her hair a few times and pulling. Gargled grunts and growls escape his throat as he began clawing at her arms with an unexpected strength. She returned it with all she had.

Alex exited the elevator, surprise taking over his features. Immediately he ran to Charlie who was being held by what he would consider to be the tallest man in the world.

"That explains it. You're hanging with the wrong crowd, kiddo." Dick said as he took a few steps towards them. It was not even five seconds passing before he was flung backwards into the Richard Roman Enterprises sign.

Mary grunted painfully when the security guard rammed himself backwards against a wall, her hold loosening by the unexpected change. She collapsed to the floor and he turned upon her, a hand grabbed hold of her throat and pressed her back against the cold floor. It wasn't enough to suffocate her, it was a means to restrain her. Dick was laughing and an unknown voice was trying to usher them to leave.

"Mary!" The name tore through the open room, she kicked at the security guard and twisted her body. Looking at her brother whose eyes finally landed on where she was, "Mar-"

"Go!" She hollered, "Get him out of here, run!"

There wasn't a moments hesitation, the smaller unknown man grabbed Alex by the arm and began pulling.

She watched them go and relaxed slightly, listening as Dick made a series of noises ranging from growling to laughing. They were out and safe, at least she assumed they were. She didn't know who those other two men were but guessed it was alright to assume such. They took care of Charlie and her brother, after-all. Mary's breath hitched as the guard tightened his hold on her neck and the other collected both her wrists. Andy pulled her up to her feet effortlessly and began walking her towards the other two.

Dick straightened his bow tie, his eyes falling upon her disheveled self. Mary looked up at him, unwilling to do things easily. Roman seemed to pause, taking a moment to take in her appearance and read all he could. He watched as her jaw set in a defiant manner but the fear was leaking through her eyes. Dick reached a hand out and petted back some of her hair, immediately she tried to pull away with a sneer. "Bring her to my office." Was all he said before walking away, "Get this cleaned up immediately." He ordered pointing to another guard.

"Andy..." Mary tried, choking slightly as she tried to speak.

"Andy isn't home." The man grunted and walked her towards the elevator, entering it after Dick. Her short nails dug into his hand on her neck and he laughed, "That's not going to help, it's barely a pinch."

She glared forward before glancing to the right, watching Dick tidying up his tux. He was looking down, straightening the cuffs with a stern look etched into his face. "What... What are you?"

Dick paused in what he was doing, his eyes lifted to see what floor they were coming up to before they shifted to the sides to look at her. His head tilted a fraction, "Leviathan."

"And you personally... What are you to them?"

The corners of his lips pulled upward slightly, "Their king." Her heart thudded against her ribcage, a tremor running through her as she just barely managed to hold eye contact with him. The ding of the elevator pulled his gaze away and he stepped out, she being forced to walk behind him. Dick pulled out his cellphone and dialed, pausing until the end answered. The businessman unleashed hell, yelling into speaker as he approached his office and swung open the door.

"Sir, please I am so sorry." A weak voice came from within.

Another lackey, she guessed. Dick looked at the man with a scowl before glancing at the guard and made motion with his head to the empty chair. She found herself forced to sit and the guard backed off and left. "Now get it back before they figure the damned thing out!" Dick snarled on the phone as he threw it.

"Please sir... Don't bib me."

"Bib you? Why would I waste a perfectly good meal?" And then the unthinkable happened, his entire face morphed into a mouth. Jaws pulling open wide before he came down upon his own employee's head.

Mary gasped, hands covering her face as she sunk further into the chair; knees pulled up to her chest. It didn't stop the sound, teeth breaking through bone and ripping flesh. She knew it didn't take long but it felt otherwise as he cannibalized his own kind. By the end of it she was a mess, unaware of the fact she was even crying. Sitting upright in a ball with her arms curled around her head. Dick's heavy breathing indicated he was through, she could hear everything as she hid her face from the world. She didn't dare look up, even when she heard his approaching steps.

"Mary." She shook her head, he didn't waste time to reach in and grab her jaw in his hand, forcing her to lift her head. Instinctively her hands latched onto his forearm, she leaned further back in the chair trying to evade him. But Dick was towering over her entire body, black staining his face and down the front of him. She didn't have to ask what it was, she was smart enough to know. "That's better." He said with a smile forming, she shook violently as she looked up with wide eyes. This was the last thing she expected to happen. Mary was ready for him to try and cheat her on the contract, but this? Leviathans, cannibalism, separation from her brother, these were things she didn't see coming. And to be honest it frightened her greatly. She didn't know what to do with this situation at all. One of her hands covered his as she tried to pull her face free from his hold, "Ah, ah, ah..." He tutted her and pulled her back to look at him. "I still hold your contract, Mary."

Disbelief filled her eyes as she registered what he meant, "You can't be serious..." She whispered up at him.

His lips curled into an all teeth smile, "Oh, I am very serious. But I'm very concerned on what we are going to do about you in the meantime." Mary clenched her jaw, her entire body shifting to get away from him but he held her head in place. "I'm afraid the Winchester boys along with your brother might try and steal you from me."

"Just... Just let me go, you have the plans. You don't need me anymore."

"Don't sell yourself short, Mary; and don't take me for a fool either." Dick scolded. "You'll disappear if I let you walk out of here alive."

Her breath hitched, "A-are you going to kill me then?"

"I could. I could also feed every fact in your brain to another, clone you, but it wouldn't be the same. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a choice when it comes to how we can resolve this." She looked at him confused, the light smile he was wearing lessening as he further thought about it. The cog wheels turned, his eyes gleamed for reasons unknown to her. The smile was reborn just as quickly as it previously died, a row of black stained teeth showing. "You'll be coming home with me. Lucky you, it's every woman's dream."

* * *

**Sorry for the wait. This chapter was a bit difficult to write and organize. Hopefully after the next one I should be updating them faster compared to this one. Hope everyone had a good New Year and all that jazz. Thank you skycord1990 for kicking me in the butt and reminding me at least one person is reading this crap. Gave me motivation to finish this chapter. You're awesome and I'm shouting this out to ya. :D  
**


	6. Chapter 6

Alex was hyperventilating in the back seat of a recently stolen vehicle. His colleague and close friend, Charlie Bradbury, had her head on his lap as she whimpered quietly in her sleep. In the two front seats sat complete strangers, who had yet to even introduce themselves. Two strangers that had saved his life along with his friend's life, from what he dubbed to be monsters in human skin. The worst part about that those exact monsters had his sister, he had no idea what was going to happen to her and it made him sick on the inside.

"You okay back there?" The taller one asked, he sat in the passenger seat and tilted his head slightly to glance over at him when greeted with silence. Alex couldn't speak, he tried but nothing came out. A pained look took place while alarm showed on the others face. "Oh, hey, relax. My name is Sam Winchester and this is my brother, Dean."

"My sister... They have her back there." He mumbled with a protective hand resting on Charlie's head. "I can't just leave her there."

Sam glanced to his brother, aware of the extent of the situation. "What-"

"We'll get her back." Dean interrupted, glancing in the rear view mirror. "Don't you worry, man."

Alex brushed back Charlie's hair, trying to calm himself from shaking and waking her. "Thank you, she's all I have." He said, feeling bad for undermining Charlie's existence. It wasn't that she didn't mean anything, she meant a whole lot of things to him. But given their sibling history that would always be a priority, if anything it was the only stable thing he could hang on to. Truthfully, he didn't know if his sister even knew that fact.

The brothers glanced at one another simultaneously, a look of knowing. They knew better than most just what it was like to live in that fashion. "So..." Sam cleared his throat quietly, "Does your sister work with you two?"

"No, well I mean, she was going to be working for Mr. Roman just in a different way." He looked up at the face that was trying to comprehend his meaning. "She majored in architecture, so they were making a contract when all this happened. He was hiring her for a new project." More guilt flooded through him. He should have said no to lunch, he should have just spent the time with his sister. Alex just had to impress his boss, a boss he wasn't even working for anymore. "Do you think we should wait at my place for her?"

"No way. We're taking you away from there, there's no way you can stick around. They'll be looking for you." Dean firmly said.

"I'm sorry, but I can't sit by and do nothing. Once Charlie is looked at I'm going to do whatever it is I can to help."

"No. You need to hide, uh..."

He frowned, "Alex, and I'm not going anywhere."

Sam once again cleared his throat as he looked at his brother, "Dean, he can stay back at the cabin and help us from there." He turned back to Alex, "Okay? You'll be hidden but helping. Is that a good compromise?"

Alex wanted to object but there was little choice in the matter if he wanted to help at all. "Yeah, that works. Whatever I can do, I just want her back." He tilted his head back against the seat. There was no way he would simply sit by and do nothing, he couldn't easily rely on others let alone strangers. He'd give them what they needed to know and decide from there the situation. Alex wasn't an idiot, he wouldn't blindly rush into something he had no control over and knew nothing about. That didn't mean he wouldn't analyze the situation either and push himself to and even past his limits if it meant saving her. "Can you guys give me some background here?" He asked and proceeded to listen to their history and information.

_I'll find you, Mary._

* * *

_I'll find you, Alex.  
_

She looked up at the ceiling, tied to a chair after having tried to escape previously. Her lip was cut from being backhanded by one of the Leviathan that put her there. Dick wasn't amused by her attempt, after witnessing him cannibalize one of his own she panicked. The moment the door open she had been out of the room, managed to dodge a few Leviathan being rather scrawny herself. Skipped down a few levels and became trapped in a room, so she figured she'd break a window and try and get down as safely as possible. There was no way she could jump and survive, the curtains would have provided enough distance down that she could just drop without much damage. Mary could live getting away on a broken ankle if necessary, she had broken bones before.

They broke down the door before she could get out of the room and Dick stared at her in silence for a minute, his mouth formed into a tight frown. His eyes gave nothing away as she stared back with her own reddened ones. She watched his upper lip curl to show his white teeth, as the frown formed a forced smile. As if he had just gone over in his head the amount of frustration she would be providing him. Maybe he was reconsidering letting her live just a little bit, and for some reason she felt a little victorious on the inside just looking at him. Confronted with danger, despite realizing her vulnerability, she still wouldn't be so easily break.

He assigned a Leviathan to lock her in a room and so this Leviathan did just that. The moment the door shut on them and he turned around she had nailed him with the chair. It didn't do anything, despite catching him off guard. He stumbled into the door and straightened back up. It was because she began trying to break things on his body that he tied her to the chair, backhanded her to calm down. And so this is where she was at.

Apparently her new boss was off plotting his next move (which he had been doing for maybe two hours now?), or so that's what she imagined him to be doing. Putting what pieces she has together she figured someone in his position was probably a villain to the human race. Briefly she scolded herself about all the movies she watched, which was followed by musing about whether or not some of them would be useful. Never saw a movie with a Leviathan, though.

The Leviathan temporarily assigned to her stood beside the door, his arms folded as he scowled at her. He looked completely unimpressed and she returned the look in full. Fear never stopped racing through her veins but she was being kept alive right now, she'd damn well take advantage of it. As a representative of the human race, she'd make them regret every choice they made. Humans were notable for being a pain in the ass.

The door opened to a surprised Dick, his eyebrows lifted as he looked over her condition. Immediately her face fell upon seeing him. He looked to his little minion before an amused grin broke out, "Has she been giving you that much trouble? She's just a human, not a very strong one at that. Definitely not an exception to her species." His eyes were trained on her again, poking her with insults to get a reaction.

"Tell me something I don't know." Mary nearly snorted, she already established the fact she was born with some missing components. This wasn't news to her.

"You can leave, close the door on your way out." Dick said to the other Leviathan, an offhanded farewell as he moved to the front of the desk and leaned back against it. The door clicked shut, leaving the two of them in silence once more. His eyes traveled over her, examining her current condition before returning to her face. "That was quite the stunt you pulled earlier, really caught me off guard."

"Why's that?"

It was as if she took the bait, a mocking smile of teeth formed as he folded his hands in front of him. "Considering how terrified you looked before. I'd say you're a good actress, but we both know that wasn't acting." Her eyes looked to the side. Why shouldn't she be terrified? Exposed to something completely out of her element. "Here you are, the little morbid artist you are. Always cooped up painting monsters and when confronted with a real one you cry."

"Don't flatter yourself. It wasn't you, it was what you did. The situation. It's an unexpected one, don't take all the credit." Mary bit back, glad to see the quiver in her voice was at a minimal.

"So you are not afraid of me, then?" Dick asked, she glanced at him only to see his expression said he wasn't buying it.

She clenched her jaw briefly before it relaxed, "Of course I'm afraid, only an idiot wouldn't be. You're uncharted territory, what am I supposed to do with that other than learn?" His eyebrows raised once more, lips pressing together as one side of his lips quirked upwards. He nodded along to her words, thinking them over. She didn't want to continue on this topic, however. There was something else on her mind. "Did they escape?"

Dick looked down at her, "Yes, for now." He rubbed his hands together, clapping once before he pushed off the desk and walked over to her. "Looks like they abandoned you."

That jab didn't feel like one, all she heard in it was pleasant news. Relief flooded her system. "Good."

"You're a peculiar one, Mary." He commented as he began untying her from behind. "Good news is we can make a stop before I take you to your new home."

"If you think I'll ever call that place home you're stupid." Mary sneered, pulling her arms to her chest once free of her restraints.

Dick stepped around in front of her and offered a hand to help her up, she refused it and stood on her own. Passing by him to gain some distance and he didn't stop her. "We have a project to run together, Mary. Let's try and be civil."

"Civil? You call trying to kill Charlie civil?!" She refrained from exploding and settled with a glare. "My brother was there, would you have killed him too if those other guys hadn't shown up?"

"The Winchesters?"

Mary noted he wasn't answering her questions and doubted he would really. So, second best thing to do is see who those two guys are. "Is that who they are?"

"Yes. They're monster hunters."

She smirked slightly, "Are they any good?"

"Not good enough." Dick replied, catching what she was aiming at. "It will be a miracle if your brother isn't killed in their care."

"You saying I should pray?" Mary asked sarcastically.

He chuckled, "It wouldn't do you any good. God hasn't been around for a while."

"You're saying God is real?" She questioned, somewhat disbelievingly. Now, Mary is no atheist nor is she a devoted religious believer. She figured if something is out there, okay, if not that's just as okay. She's an open minded to both because both interest her.

Dick, however, wasn't amused by her question. His eyes fell flat while his mouth formed a straight line. "He is. How else was Purgatory made and us imprisoned within it?"

"Why..." She looked at him, trying to be careful now as a menacing glint took over his gaze. It looked as if the color in his eyes had drained and changed to black. "Why were you imprisoned?"

There was no explaining the seriousness that came over him, there was always a seriousness to him but it was balanced by a sharp wit. This seemed to be a sore spot if anything, it wasn't something that appealed to him to talk about. "Because God feared what we would do to his new ideas."

"...Us?"

His eyes narrowed as something came to mind, what it was she didn't know. "No, the Angels. We were the first. He experimented and then decided he actually wanted pawns he could play with. Out of fear he imprisoned us and went on to create the Angels, his first children. He made humans once they were established, jealousy grew, Lucifer fell... The rest is simply history."

"Just how old are you?" Mary asked, her brain trying to quiet the new information that all these things were real.

The seriousness seemed to drain as he put on a smile, the menacing glint turning into an amused one. "That's rude to ask a monster, you know."

The tension died down slightly, for that she was grateful for. "I never expected a monster to be so sassy."

Dick tilted back his head as a laugh escaped him. Shoving a hand into his pocket he made his way over to the door and opened it, "Let's go. We have to get you established back at my place."

If there was one thing she disliked it was being controlled. She'd tolerate it here, she'd follow him out of the room and down the halls to the car. Mary would humor him to the best of her ability when he made jabs at her and mocked her humanity. Because despite disliking being controlled and listening to his crap, what she really was uncomfortable with was how much tension could be formed in the absence of sound.

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**Hello Lara19, thank you that was kind to say. I'll keep tossing out chapters and get this thing finished. So here's another chapter for ya and to anyone else reading this stuff. I was musing over doing something Valentine's Day-related as a oneshot but got lazy. Maybe later, for now there's this short chapter! I am seriously falling asleep thanks to medicine because I feel gross. Hopefully I managed to erase the errors here. Edit it later. ~_~  
**


	7. Chapter 7

The car ride was awkward, to say the least. Mary sat stiffly beside the door of the SUV limo with only two seats separating her and Dick. He sat quietly for the most part, making small noises of acknowledgement and amusement towards the articles in the newspaper he had in his grasp. The Leviathan didn't need to look at her to gather her current condition, the tension surrounded her and every emotion radiated off of her. He listened to the pulse of her quickened heartbeat, one that had not faltered over the hours that had passed into the night. Her body language was taut, bag clung to her chest as she sat in a position she had not moved from since entering the vehicle.

Mary was a peculiar human, as he so stated before. He didn't mean it in any manner of flattery; it wasn't a form of a compliment. This was just something she was as he has come to acknowledge. There was a war within her between predator and prey, he witnessed enough to know the dangers that lurked within and her ability to design her monsters of a realistic nature. This wasn't years of study and observation, she didn't spend time learning what came naturally to her. Some are born with a natural adaptation and understanding but he wondered if there was something hidden in her past to lend a hand to all of this. He picked up her challenging nature during their introduction, ready to defend her territory known as the land of Alex. But Mary is no human that has firsthand experience with these matters, she may be a hardened young woman with a very tuned mindset but it never prepared her for this scenario. Endless hours out of days, days out of years spent crafting her gallery of monsters into believable creations and yet here she sat in a state of shock. A deer caught in the headlights of his rather expensive car.

Truthfully, he didn't know just where this _spark_ within her lay. He didn't know what it was, what it could possibly be. Sparks weren't something able to be described, they just were. It was something in her evolution that formed something in her birthing and aging that developed and came to be. His hand has taken hers before, flesh had touched black goo molded into a flawless human hand and yet very little was learned. A very rare instant of Dick being unable to catch a read on someone, some_thing_. This girl sitting frozen beside him wasn't something, she was a regular human and he was fully aware of it. One so simple she became complicated. There were fragments, broken pieces he could catch glimpses of during the times he had laid a hand upon her. It helped him fill the puzzle known as Mary out more. But there was no shaking the fact he was unable to read her, every time he came into contact with her physically it brought about a frown. Something wasn't right here with his little architect, a being as old as him didn't make errors nor was there much that could elude his reading ability.

The car pulled up along the apartment complex and came to a halt outside her number. Dick folded the paper and dropped it on top of the pile, he paused a moment as his heightened senses didn't detect a single acknowledgement to where they were from her. Turning his head he set his dark hazel eyes on her and immediately she flinched, not even looking at him but still reacting to his stare. Her eyelids fluttered a few times, life breathing back into her still state of being. Mary glanced around briefly before she glanced at him, immediately she looked away and at the door as she quietly cleared her throat. Dick's lips twitched lightly at the skittish nature she was failing to take control of.

One of his Leviathan opened the car door and Mary was awake enough at this point to realize her cue to get out of the car. He followed her out of the vehicle and motioned her to lead the way to the door when she hesitated.

"It isn't as if I haven't been here before, Mary." Dick drawled when she continued to wait, fiddling with her keys as she looked down. That reminder was enough to get her moving up the stairs and to the front door. Her home was not a hidden secret; there was no safe location she could hope to escape to. Perhaps she was stalling in case her brother was lodged within? The thought amused him, part of Dick hoped that were so. That would be _priceless_.

Unlocking the door she entered and immediately began scouting every area she could see, looking for any traces of activity from Alex. He shut the door behind him, hands slipping into his pockets as he observed her behavior. She put her keys into her pocket and looked back to him when her own examination of the place came to an intermission. "So how does this work?" Mary asked, her voice bitter.

"You pack whatever you'll need to bring along and then we leave." He replied as he strolled further into the room, eyes glancing at the artwork.

Her bemusement drew his gaze back to her, "And our apartment?"

_Ah_. There it was, the thought weighing heavily on her mind. What would happen to the rest of the few things they owned? "If you do your job I'll subtract the money from your pay so that you don't lose the place."

"Wow, so you not only kidnap me but you don't even have the decency to pay for the troubles that come along with it." Mary bit out snarkily as she backed away to her room. "What a guy."

His lips twitched, the corners curling upwards into a faint smile. "Kidnap isn't the right word for this situation."

Mary paused in her footing, "Let me guess, it's more along the lines of blackmail? I don't cooperate and you'll hunt down and hurt and/or kill my brother. Well, _Dick_, you can call it whatever the hell you like but the result for me in the same." She shrugged lightly in mock exasperation.

"You have a basic understanding on how politicians work, that's good." Dick said, sarcasm evident in his voice.

Her arms fell to her sides, "No, I have an understanding for how monsters work. The mechanics of their brains, I know most of the notes that make up each of their songs. There's always more to learn but I usually have a good head start on things to know." Mary resumed backing away towards the corner of the hall, her eyes watching as his darkened as they followed her. "I don't know you, the individual standing in front of me, but I think I have a good read on just what direction you're going in and the basics of you. You know, not the things you pretend to be despite them being contributing factors and all."

Dick's head cocked a bit, eyes narrowing into an unreadable gaze as he remained firmly planted to the spot he was standing in. "Don't assume to know everything, Mary."

"Wouldn't dream of assuming anything, Dick." She bowed her head before disappearing around the corner. "Assuming is far different from the actual facts." Her voice called from her room as she grabbed a suitcase and began folding clothes.

The Leviathan's sight remained on where he last saw her before entering the adjacent hall, unblinking as he straightened his head and pondered over the words exchanged. He was a monster of pride, well-earned pride at that, but he rarely underestimated the ones he surrounded himself with. The Winchesters were the first hit he put out once he took the form of Dick Roman; while unimpressive for the most part the boys had some admirable traits, ones that reminded him of survival in Purgatory. They weren't Angels or Demons but they had knowledge and experience, things that made a survivalist more likely to continue living. He wasn't about to underestimate that.

Turning his attention away he skimmed his eyes over her artwork, musing over just what she could possibly be tuned in with. How well did she really know how monsters minds worked? Perhaps he'd have to challenge this; the thought excited Dick, he always did get a kick out of manipulating ones that were a little more aware than the average sheep.

* * *

_Can't wait to watch this with you. Lots of love, bro._

The message was a simple one, just in case he returned to their apartment. Hope, something her brother had plenty of. Mary wasn't someone who enjoyed giving false hope but she knew what would be of comfort. Hopefully, there it was again, this would do. She left it inside one of their favorite movies, the case placed beside his bed which she knew he'd surely notice. Just as quickly as she placed the message she returned back to her own room next door, clothes packed into a suitcase and art supplies into her bag. A floorboard creaked down the hall, one that always prevented Alex from being able to sneak up on her. "Dick." Mary acknowledged, knowing the predatory stare without having to see it for herself. There was a glance over her shoulder, watching him for a moment look around her room before his eyes settled on her.

"Is that all you have to bring?"

"I'm not staying long." She retorted which earned a roll of his eyes, an amused smile crossing his lips as he pushed off the door frame and entered her room.

He appeared unimpressed by their surroundings, as if not surprised by what decorated her dim room. More artwork, both hers and others that were sent to her from fans. Her challenging bravado was waning, short bursts of snark brought on by displeasure. "Looks to me like you have no choice in the matter. Besides, you could use a vacation." Dick commented as he picked up a small idol of a knight decked out in armor, his eyes taking in the details before placing it back on the shelf. He turned and casually leaned back on the desk, fingers intertwining before him as he watched her put her supplies together. "How much have you been able to deduce?"

She was taken off guard by the out of the blue question. The folding of a sweater paused as she looked at him confused, but Dick made no attempt to elaborate. His head cocked a bit to the side, eyes gleaming with encouragement to speak up on the matter. "About what you're planning to do? Well now that I know what you are and the fact you cannibalized one of your own, I'm guessing you wanted slaughterhouses for things other than livestock."

"Your definition of livestock and ours differs."

Mary turned away and continued folding, "That right there gives confirmation to things. How many regular humans work for you, knowing what you are?"

"One." He smiled. "I'm very good at keeping secrets."

She nearly snorted. "A politician good at keeping secrets? Why I never." Mary drawled sarcastically as she zipped up the suitcase. Slinging the art bag over her shoulder along with her usual one she grabbed the handle of her case and turned to him.

"You don't waste any time. Outstanding." Dick said approvingly as he turned away and began heading towards the door, her following behind him.

The hardest part about this wasn't putting her suitcases in the car; it wasn't climbing back into the seat beside him knowing their destination. The hardest part was when she turned back to the apartment, door closed with the key in her trembling hand. Her face contorted with frustration, fear and anger intertwining together in a dangerous dance. Mary took her time, a deep breath was inhaled as she slid the key into the locked and turned it, listening to the click before she pulled it back out and exhaled slowly. This was the hardest part right here, knowing she was parting with a home she felt comfortable in only because her brother was there. This time he wasn't and this time she may not be coming back.

Her shoulders shook lightly as she climbed back down the stairs, the eyes that wouldn't look at the Leviathan finally turned up to see his own gaze tracking her movement. A small smile of all teeth spreading as he motioned to the open door; her fingers curled around the single bag she had on her still, gaze hardening but fear spreading within.

The King watched her enter the car and climbed in afterwards, keeping her from sitting beside the door this time. Trapping her within the vehicle much like she would be at his home, guess now was a good time if any for her to get used to that. There was no joke that could comfort her in this hour, no sarcasm that could lighten the dread she was feeling. The cage he had constructed around her was already shrinking; it had started by a simple entering of the car. Mary didn't want to know what it would progress to but knew she would be forced to come to terms and deal with it. This was the beginning and she knew it, he had the ability to ruin everything not only she but her brother as well built. While he is be off playing businessman she will work out what's worth saving and what she can give up.

She shifted slightly, pulling the old tattered bag to her chest as if it would provide some sort of security. There was none to be found for her, he had the luxury of being able to be comfortable. Mary listened to the rustling of a newspaper as he picked up where he left off from before; slowly her eyes looked over only to settle on him. She noted his face on the front page, digesting just what type of figure she was dealing with. Both monster and the position of the man. His gaze turned away from the article and came to meet hers; there was a moment of just staring before his eyebrows rose and a grin spread as he spoke in a friendly manner, "This is going to be exciting."

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**Sorry for the wait. Life has been... well, life. Thanks for the reviews, darlings. Apologies for a short one with very minor development. Also, to anyone following/roleplaying/interacting with me on my Dick Roman blog on Tumblr (themanwiththecrown) sorry for delays there too. Got plenty of things coming into play both here and there. Once I get some things scheduled out here I'll be back up and running over there, hopefully that means chapters won't be so delayed too.**

**Also, if any of you have any Dick Roman related ideas feel free to send me them in detail. I may write an oneshot, assist you, or if you have a thought on something to incorporate into mine (or maybe want me to try and write) I'll be happy to take ideas. I love ideas. So don't hesitate, I'd like to explore this character more and if any of you have in on being a part of that just message me.**

**And yes, to that certain viewer I spoke to (and any others interested), I will do prompts for Dick and your original character.**

**I think that's all, folks.**


	8. Chapter 8

Alex was seated across from Dean at the small round table. The cabin wasn't in the best condition but it got the job done. His eyes were currently glued to the back of the laptop, watching impatiently as the brothers tried to dig up more information. He listened quietly as the two bickered over a man named Frank and how much help he would be if the fellow was still alive, or if he wasn't missing all together. Alex didn't know this Frank but by the sound of it he was a man as talented as Charlie.

_Charlie._ Right. One hospital trip and a cast placed on her arm later, his friend hopped onto a bus to take a leave of absence for what he figured would be indefinitely. Alex is a friendly guy, he can trust a bit easily and is often kind right off the bat but there are very few people that hit him right where it counts. Charlie was one of them and after their struggle to not have an emotional goodbye she fled. He was glad, truthfully, he didn't want her in harms way. Despite all that she knew and all the things she watched over the years, Charlie was just not someone completely cut out for this sort of thing. He never said it but he knew she was running from something, though sometimes he wondered if perhaps she was actually running towards something as well. To opposites constantly being pulled together. The secrets she didn't wish to share with him were her own, he wasn't going to sit there and think on it. All he knew for certain was a person running like that was never going to see anything by the trail in front of them. That's not to say that he was actually cut out for this kind of thing, but with Mary on the line he'd turn the one impossibility into a million possibilities. No matter how much time it took, no matter what he would have to go through, he'd do anything for his sister.

Now the two guys he was lodging with weren't all that different, or so he has observed. They didn't know what it was like to have a little sister, well, until they got a glimpse at Charlie, but they had each other. The stories he listened to were stuff he would read out of a book, which funnily enough was actually already a book. A series, in fact. Mentally he noted to buy them all along with popcorn and read each one to Mary after all this was over. It brought a smile to his face, the hope he felt for a happy ending was not going to die off.

"What are you so happy about, chuckles?" he heard Dean question over the screen of the laptop, it stirred Alex from his musings and quietly he shook his head. The man shrugged lightly, having lost interest in the question he asked all together and continued focusing on the information -or lack there of-. Alex had given them all the information he could, every conversation Dick Roman engaged his sister and him. Still, the three of them are left wondering whether preserving Mary is necessary or not, and if they are going to do it anyway just what is the reason for it? Do these Leviathan think it will get Sam and Dean to come to them head on? Is that what they want? To-

* * *

"-rescue the damsel in distress." Dick's words mocked her, his tone cruel and amused by her predicament. Currently she was seated in a chair in the living room of his small manor, which was -much to her dislike- far enough away from human contact. Her eyes bored into his as she could make out his lips curling upwards into a sneer at his own humor. "Drink?" he offered nonchalantly as he turned to the bar top cabinet, idly fingering the bottles as he tried to decide just what fit his mood.

"Not with you." Mary replied dully as she sat alert in the chair, her body curled in on itself as if attempting to make herself as small as possible to evade his attention.

Dick poured himself a glass of whiskey and turned to her, eyebrows lifted as he feigned being hurt by her response for a moment. A second, not even, before the smirk returned to his lips. He seated himself in the armchair across from her own, two fingers unbuttoned the suit jacket before he leaned back and crossed his legs. His gaze focused on the amber fluid in the glass that was loosely grasped in his other hand, the bottom of it balancing on his knee. There was very little interest showing but still he gave it his attention, amused himself with anything in his line of sight.

That was when his gaze settled back on her, an uncomfortable silence growing which only caused her to become more distant. Yet, not completely detached from the situation that she was currently in for she knew that could be fatal. Instead she settled on unscrewing the tip of her mechanical pencil before screwing it back on, a process she repeated again and again to try and distract herself.

The King cleared his throat quietly, an attempt to capture her attention. Mary, being so on edge currently, easily fell for the bait. Her eyes attached to his form and stared, awaiting whatever move he was going to make. He took a sip of his glass before returning it back on top of his knee, "Have you ever met an Angel before?"

_What kind of question is that?_ Her mind scoffed but on the outside her brows only creased together, puzzled by the bizarre words.

Dick waited a moment before taking her silence as a no. "What about a Demon?" he asked. Her chin tilted up, brows remaining creased as she tried to figure out whether he was jesting or not. She remembered him mentioning the two species during the Leviathan history lesson whilst she was tied to the chair, but her ability to process it along with everything else was poor at that time. "I'll take your silence as a no." he drawled, eyes skimming over her figure in observation. The predatory nature she knows him to have was replaced with something else; he was studying her, trying to find out something he did not yet know.

That bothered her greatly. From what she has gathered thus far their kind was able to completely replace another creature. A Human for example, they were able to not only shape-shift into their exact appearance (or wear their meat suit, though she has noted that doesn't seem to interest them - they are too hungry) but as well learn every little detail about the person they have physically come into contact with. One spec of DNA, one flake of skin or strand of hair. It was as if they read the soul itself, which she has come to the conclusion _must _exist along with everything else. So why question her on Angels and Demons and having contact with them? Her lips twitched, a frown began to form as she stared at the King of the Leviathan. Why was he trying to study her if he already knew everything? Unless...

"You aren't able to read me, are you?" Mary questioned boldly as she regarded him, almost dreading whatever he may answer with. It made sense, perhaps those two species had something they could use to hinder Leviathan's ability to read others? His eyelids fell halfway as he stared at her, the glass of whiskey coming to meet his lips as he took a long sip before lowering the cup. No, that couldn't be right. Leviathan came first, unless their creator left cheat tips... It didn't make sense to her. All she got from him was a brooding gaze. "I imagine that's not something that happens to your kind often."

Dick cocked an eyebrow slightly, "Why do you say that?"

"In my experience and observation when someone creates something for the first time they always aim to make it powerful. Their first creation, a character for instance, they always strive to make them the top of the food chain. Their flaws minimal, they are meant to last, survive until the very end should there ever be one. What follows after a character that can't die? The creator often wants to play with mortality afterwards, bring in depth and evolution for their second wave." Mary eyed him, speaking as carefully as she could. "I'd imagine you are the apex, whereas we -or the Angels?- are the second wave. For something like you, being unable to do what is in your design must be frustrating."

With his free hand Dick had come to prop it up against the arm of the chair, cheek resting against the back of his knuckles as a half smile remained on his face. She wasn't fooled by it, despite the interest he showed the eyes that gazed upon her were as serious as a heart attack. It felt as if he was trying to burn her soul out of her body, which led her to think that maybe she was on the right track with all of this. Mary wasn't about to jump the shark and assume she was, that would be foolish, but she had to get some answers.

"It would seem I underestimated you a little bit."

"It seems to me like you do that often with humans." she replied automatically before she could stop herself. Her insides twisted, clenching together as she watched him for any signs of violence. He didn't budge a fraction but she saw his eyelids narrowed a fraction. Instead she lowered her head slightly and questioned, "Any idea on what could be the cause?"

"No." Dick replied firmly, the edge of the single word razor sharp. "_But_ I intend to find out." he said, the corner of his lips lifted as she witnessed both cruelty and excitement intertwine within his gaze. He took a final sip of his whiskey, finishing the glass entirely before setting it down on the coffee table beside the chair. Uncrossing his legs he pushed himself forward, "I'll show you to your room." he said, getting up as his hands found their way into his pockets. Wordlessly she followed, suitcase in her hand as she carried it up the stairs and down the hall. He opened the door to what she assumed to be a guest bedroom. Mary looked up at him as he stood beside the door frame, an expectant gaze staring back at her, a silent instruction to get in. She did so, setting the bag down beside the bed and turning to face him. The last thing Mary wanted was to have him out of her line of sight, the bedroom itself wasn't of importance and she noticed right off the bat the necessary furnishings that mattered. Dick slipped a hand from his pocket and pointed to the door in the room, "Bathroom. Towel closet is up the hall a bit, thin door on the left. The room at the very end of the hall is the master bedroom, where I'll be on the nights I am here." the hand returned to his pocket, she could hear a faint jingle of change as he briefly toyed with it.

By his gaze she figured this was the time to ask any last minute questions before he left. "Are you going to lock me in here?"

Amusement crossed his features at the idea, "Not in this room."

"So the house, then." he nodded, smile growing. "Can I open a window?" she asked, testing the boundaries of this set up.

His eyes trailed over to one of the windows in the room, "I wouldn't recommend it. The Leviathan that guard this place might assume you're attempting to escape. Be good and I might allow it under supervision."

Her eyes narrowed at the last part but she held her tongue. "Anywhere I shouldn't go?"

"I have nothing to hide." Dick shrugged, a smug grin forming.

_Nothing to hide inside your house, you mean. I imagine your office is different._

"Any weapons you find won't do you any good against us, I suggest you leave them in their display cases. Wouldn't want to let all that money go to waste."

A sigh left her lips, "So you are going to go out and play politician while I am stuck inside here as some kind of..." her expression grew distasteful at the next set of words that came to mind. He seemed to read her mind easily, the grin he wore became full as he chuckled behind it. "What if I can't sleep?"

"Insomniac?" Dick questioned as he stared at her face, specifically the faded dark circles under her eyes. "Plenty of books downstairs. You may wander at whatever hour. I wouldn't attempt to make a call or use the internet."

"Why?"

"Phone is tapped," at that she folded her arms, glaring quietly at what was next to come. "Internet requires a password from any source in the house." he turned halfway, preparing to leave. "To go back to your previous question, I personally would suggest staying away from the meat locker in the basement."

It took her a second to process just what that meant, the answer, once it came, made her feel nauseous. "You're sick."

With a smile he made his way to the door, "Goodnight, Mary." Dick called casually before he left the room, making his way down the hall. She paused, listening to the sound of a door creaking open and creaking shut. The young woman took a few steps backwards until she came to sit on the bed, a tired sigh escaping her body. Her eyes wandered over the room now that he was out of it, examining the furniture and decoration. It wasn't home. This was strange, it was a change she didn't like -not that she liked much change to begin with-. Her artwork was nowhere to be found, her brother's writing and attempt at drawing wasn't framed and hanging, none of their crafts littered the place. It was... _dull_. Depressing.

_Adapt_. Her mind instructed; without hesitation she pulled her sketchbook from her back and the mechanical pencil from behind her ear. Immediately she began creating something new; a setting of endless woods that began to be filled in with orb-like eyes shining from the darkness. She smudged away, blending and shading with her fingers; the emotions she bound up she was releasing with every violent stroke. Critters up in the trees, a beast coiled around a trunk and preying upon another monster up above. Misshapen creatures on the ground; the picture itself was far calmer than what she initially expected it to be. It was just another night in the forest of her mind, thoughts preying upon other thoughts while the rest of her went through the motion. Another fucked up night, without her brother it was considerably worse; at least before she had someone to keep her company during her insomnia.

When Mary finally pulled away from the picture she found her hands to be black; carefully she set down her tools and pad and shifted to the bathroom where she began scrubbing away. It took a few minutes for every spec of black to leave the surface of her skin and she turned to find no towels in the bathroom. Teeth gritting together she shook her hands gently, removing excess water before she wiped them across her pants. With a glance at the clock on her way out she noticed three and a half hours had passed, it partially put her at ease. Hopefully Dick would be asleep - if Leviathans even slept. Opening her door she slipped into the hallway and made her way down to the door he mentioned earlier, she gathered a small bundle and shut the door quietly. A light a few feet away caught her attention, however, a crack in the door of the master bedroom. Tilting her head she stared through the opening (that was give or day a few inches wide), she spotted a bed and on it was Dick, lazily splayed out in his suit -minus his jacket that was lying beside him-. She wondered if he was asleep or perhaps just relaxing. It wasn't too often monsters looked peaceful, it was the last thing she expected to witness but there he was, enjoying life and all it had to offer.

Biting the inside of her cheek she promptly turned away and walked back to her room, shutting the door and locking it without a moments wait. She didn't see the slight quirk of his eyebrows or the upward tilt of his lips, nor did she see his eyes peel open to stare at the ceiling in an unreadable gaze; something brooding beneath the hazel hues.

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**Whelp, there's this chapter. Sorry for the wait, things are a bit crazy on my end. Good news: rewatching Supernatural and I am currently on season 7, so it's giving back more motivation to sit down and bang these out.**

_**Question: Why do you think Dick is unable to read Mary?**_

**I am interested in your opinions. Hope to hear from you all. Also, thanks for the messages, I'll reply to them shortly. I have to sleep for work, enjoy the half asleep post. I tried editing it but I have to give up for the night. Too tired, want to give you guys this. Hope you enjoy!**


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